According to multiple sources within the U.S. government, the CIA has been tasked with preparing an unprecedented act of cyber warfare against the Russians.

Earlier today, NBC News, a news organization that is usually extremely friendly to the Obama administration, reported that numerous current and former government officials have told them the White House had asked the CIA to deliver options for a wide-ranging “clandestine” cyber operation designed to harass and “embarrass” the Kremlin leadership.

According to NBC, the sources did not elaborate on the exact measures the CIA was considering but said the agency had already begun opening cyber doors, selecting targets and making other preparations for an operation. Former intelligence officers told NBC News that the agency had gathered reams of documents that could expose unsavory tactics by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Vice President Joe Biden told “Meet the Press” moderator Chuck Todd on Friday that “we’re sending a message” to Putin and that “it will be at the time of our choosing, and under the circumstances that will have the greatest impact.”

You can choose to be distracted by the Trump or Clinton gaff of the day, but this is the stuff that matters.

A U.S. Navy destroyer launched a salvo of Tomahawk cruise missiles early Thursday at three coastal radar sites along the western coast of Yemen in what officials said was retaliation for missiles launched this week toward a U.S. military ship in the Red Sea.

The Pentagon said the predawn offensive, launched from the U.S. destroyer Nitze, was aimed at installations in an area controlled by Houthi rebels. Initial assessments show the sites were destroyed, according to U.S. officials.

“This was a response to direct threats to our people, to our ship, and we responded to that threat and we will be prepared to respond again,” Cook said, deflecting questions about Iranian ships being deployed to the region and Tehran’s support for the Houthis.

“Iran has played a role and has been supportive of the Houthi rebels more broadly in the conflict in Yemen, and our message to those involved in that separate conflict is that they should return to the negotiating table consistent with where they were just a few months ago,” he said.

The strikes, authorized by President Obama, pull the U.S. directly into a war in Yemen that’s gone on for more than a year. They came just hours after the Pentagon said the U.S. guided-missile destroyer Mason was targeted by missiles fired from Hudaydah, a rebel-controlled area in western Yemen.

This is a very thought-provoking take on US-Russia relations. Since the date of the writing, we’ve also heard reports of Russia quietly asking its citizens to recall children or relatives from exchange programs. Could this be just posturing, or is it a sign of things to come?

As the US and Russia square up their support on opposite sides of the conflict in Syria, not a few mainstream news sources are beginning to fret about this confrontation breaking out into a larger war, which might go nuclear. In many ways the US is provoking Russia in Syria in sabotaging the ceasefire by attacking Syrian troops with US jets, sending in troops on the ground to advise and arm the Syrian opposition, and threatening a “no fly” zone over any place US troops reside. Most of the talk of war is in the EU and UK but at least one US general is putting out bravado about easily beating the Russians in a war, while admitting it will be deadly on both sides. On the one hand, it is a good thing that some people are waking up to the threat of the Russian military, which is already deep into strategic rearmament, but on the other hand, panicky claims too early will only put people back to sleep if they don’t pan out soon. Dozens of subscribers have written to see if all this means my timetable for WWIII has changed. This week I’ll give my updated analysis.

Daisy Luther wrote probably the most comprehensive “worry piece” about war breaking out between the US and Russia, in the Activist Post, listing “8 Alarming Warning Signs” which I’ll reference as the basis and counter point to my arguments.

How many more indicators do we need to see to realize that a major confrontation between Russia and the West is approaching rapidly? Is World War III upon us? Because it’s certainly starting to look that way, and I am far from the only person saying it. The most alarming thing about it is that WWIII is most likely to involve nuclear weapons, which brings the destruction to a level that threatens the very existence of humanity.

Frankly, you have to be more than an armchair journalist to understand all the strategic factors involved in going to war on such a worldwide scale. As I will analyze below, while the factors for a deadly confrontation in Syria are the highest they have been since Russia intervened, the strategic factors for a much wider conflict are not even close yet.

Here’s what you need to know now about the powerful storm that forecasters say is gaining strength:

• Hurricane Matthew remains a Category 4 storm with winds of 140 mph, according to the latest National Hurricane Center advisory. As of 2 p.m. ET, Matthew was located about 125 miles east-southeast of West Palm Beach, Florida, and is expected to make a northwest turn toward the peninsula sometime Thursday night or early Friday.

• Daytona Beach, Florida, Mayor Derrick Henry told CNN he fears residents might be emboldened by the fact that his city hasn’t seen a direct hit from a hurricane in four decades. “We’re not immune. … Get out. That is our message and that is our hope. Worry about your possessions later. Take care of your life now. You only have one life,” he said. St. Augustine Mayor Nancy Shaver issued a similar warning.

• Authorities urged more than 2 million people to leave their homes in coastal Florida, Georgia and South Carolina as the storm neared — the largest mandatory evacuations in the United States since Hurricane Sandy hit the East Coast in 2012.

“Hurricane Matthew is a storm not to be messed with. If you decide to ride it out, do not expect us to be there to help you. We will not risk the lives of our emergency responders to save those who refused to heed this evacuation call,” he said in a statement.

CNN affiliate WSB reported 20-mile long traffic backups on I-75 northbound, south of metro Atlanta, as people from coastal areas sought to flee the storm.

Seemingly confirming the rumor,Agence France Press reports that Deutsche Bank is nearing a $5.4 billion settlement with the US Justice Department. This has catalyzed another leg higher in Deutsche Bank stock and lifted the whole market as it would appear that unconfirmed sources have ‘fixed’ the world’s most systemically dangerous bank (despite the fact that short-dated counterparty risk is soaring).

Day 4: Riots in Charlotte, Interstate Shut Down by Rioters

For the fourth night in a row, rioters have shut down one of the major interstate highways surrounding Charlotte, North Carolina. Rioters, who have been emboldened after not being arrested last night when they ignored the State of Emergency Curfew, have yet again taken over Interstate I-277.

A Ready.News Staffer was watching this briefing, and was surprised to learn that in the first quarter of this year, 619 individuals from the People’s Republic of China were arrested crossing the U.S. Border. Last year, over 1600 were arrested. That’s a sharp increase over last year. Arrests of Pakistani and Afghan citizens were also markedly up this quarter.

The transcripts of this briefing are being made available at http://www.c-span.org/video/?407138-1/hearing-border-security

“The only way for defending the sovereignty of our nation and its right to existence under the present extreme situation is to bolster up nuclear force both in quality and quantity,” the North’s official Korean Central News Agency said, paraphrasing Kim. It said Kim stressed “the need to get the nuclear warheads deployed for national defense always on standby so as to be fired any moment.”

North Korea has threatened nuclear war in the past, but it is unclear just how advanced the country’s nuclear program really is. It is thought to have a handful of crude atomic bombs, but there is considerable outside debate about the state of its arsenal.

Mike LeMay of the popular “Stand Up For The Truth” radio show interviews former law enforcement officer and author Carl Gallups, who discusses Prepping from a Biblical (and practical) perspective. If you’re on the fence about your role as a Christian in these challenging time, this podcast may answer the questions you’ve been afraid to ask. From the podcast page:

The Bible is clear that in the final days the world’s hatred for God will increase and Christians will face some difficult times. The Bible also teaches us that a wise man prepares for challenging seasons so when they come he will be prepared. But exactly what does biblical preparation look like? Does it mean fighting back when we are attacked? Should we ‘turn the other cheek” when we are attacked? Does being a Christian automatically mean we should not defend ourselves or those we love? StandUpForTheTruth.com